Giants Saquon Barkley Wins Best Breakthrough Athlete At ESPY's

posted by Anthony Fillippleo -
Jul 11, 2019

Saquon Barkley, who finished second in the NFL with 1,307 rushing yards as a rookie with the New York Giants, earned the ESPY for best breakthrough athlete.

The Milwaukee Brewers' Christian Yelich, the Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young, and tennis player Naomi Osaka, the reigning women's singles champion at the U.S. Open and the Australian Open, were the other nominees.

"I want to say thank you to God for blessing me with the opportunity to wake up every single day and play the sport I love and have impact on others," Barkley said upon receiving the award. "I want to say thank you to the Giants organization for drafting me and taking a chance on me. I wouldn't be able to play the sport I love without you guys also."

Barkley was named the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by The Associated Press and also won the fan voting for the Pepsi Rookie of the Year.

Barkley also had a team-high 91 receptions, an NFL record for a rookie running back, for 721 yards, and his 2,028 yards from scrimmage led the league.

He was the third rookie in NFL history to have 2,000 scrimmage yards, joining Eric Dickerson in 1983 and Edgerrin James in 1999.

His six rushes of 50-plus yards this season were the most by a Giants player in a season since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, according to Elias Sports Bureau.